Starting next year, it will be tougher for freshmen to get admitted to Rutgers University’s main campus.

The state university will cut the number of freshmen it enrolls for the fall 2012 semester by 4 percent due to overcrowding on the New Brunswick-Piscataway campus, Rutgers President Richard McCormick said Friday. That means between 200 and 250 applicants who would have gotten into Rutgers will get rejection letters instead.

"New Brunswick is now at its full capacity, some would say over capacity," McCormick said. "We want to make sure there are enough classrooms, buses and student services to provide a first-rate experience."

Enrollment at Rutgers, the state’s largest university, is currently at 58,000 — an all-time record. The school has struggled to keep up with demand amid state funding cuts and a surge in applications. Many undergraduates have complained they are being shut out of required classes, delaying their graduation.